Re: [Lynx-dev] Proposed patch to init preferred-doc-lang from LANG/LANGUAGE

[Henry Nelson]

On Fri, Apr 27, 2007 at 11:08:32AM -0400, Chuck Houpt wrote:
> Certainly the motivation for the patch came from a problem 
> encountered while building packages for multilingual systems. The 
> problem was that Lynx was missing a desirable feature. The patch 

I guess that this is it.  I don't understand what "desirable feature"
Lynx is missing wrt the patch.

> The fact that two package builders independently decided to custom 
> add the feature, just shows how much they feel the feature is 

I think two independent packagers have decided to "overstep" their
boundaries.

On Fri, Apr 27, 2007 at 11:58:58AM -0400, Chuck Houpt wrote:
> Some illustrative examples:
> 
> Given that myprog.pl is an multilingual Perl script, then the 
> following will display myprog messages in Japanese:
> 
> export LANG=ja
> perl myprog.pl

No.  The language that "myprog.pl" spits out should be controlled by
"myprog.pl" itself, either with a command line switch or a configuration
file, or a static language file.

> Give that Google.com is a multilingual web site, then the following 
> should display with Google's Japanese messages (modulo custom settings):

No.  If implemented (please don't), it "should" force Lynx to use
the Japanese message catalog (ja.po) to display its own messages.

> export LANG=ja
> lynx http://google.com

To me the example you offer tells exactly why a shell environment
variable should NOT be used to force ALL applications running in
that shell to use a specific language.

I think I'm just repeating what Thorsten said, but maybe in a different
light, since I know from hard experience that "setenv LANG ja" is a total
disaster.  If you need that, then the way to do it is "env LANG=ja mutt".
IOW, don't pollute your shell with such silly stuff, but feed it only to
the application that has to have it as a crutch (since it doesn't have a
built-in way to set it).

Perl and Lynx are totally different animals.  Even the slightest similarity
between "myprog.pl" and "http://google.com"; would be pure cooincidence.  It
doesn't make sense to me to try to force them all into the same box.

__Henry

  "Using Lynx is like wearing a really good pair of shades: cuts out
   the glare and harmful UV (ultra-vanity), and you feel so-o-o COOL."
                                         -- me, March 1999